Andy Burnham’s (Image: Getty)
And right now, there’s not much of a discussion either. Just hints, leaks and suggestions, and a surprisingly quiet response from Brexiteers. The result? We’re being slowly nudged back towards Brussels, like it or not. Burnham keeps testing the waters. He’s floated everything from restoring freedom of movement to going “all the way” and rejoining the European Union. He’s gaslighting us, playing party politics to unite the anti-Brexit left and trying to reverse the referendum by stealth. And the arguments are getting more ridiculous by the day.
Labour won the general election promising not to bring back free movement during this Parliament. Burnham’s own election victory came in Leave-voting Makerfield, where he promised voters he wouldn’t reopen the Brexit debate. His exact words were: “The last thing we should do right now is re-run those arguments.” Yet he seems to restart the debate almost every single day.
Burnham also blames almost every ill afflicting Britain on the 2016 vote, even many of our EU neighbours are in a far worse state. Last week, Labour MP Stella Creasy, chair of the Labour Movement for Europe, once again claimed that leaving the EU has cost the UK between 6% and 8% of GDP. It’s a familiar Remainer claim, based on research by the pro-EU Centre for Economic Policy Research. But it relies on questionable assumptions and reaches an extraordinary conclusion.
Since Brexit, the UK economy has grown 13.2%. That’s disappointing but it’s better than France, up 12.8%, Italy, up 10.7%, and Germany, up a mere 7.2%. If Creasy’s figures were correct, the UK might have grown by as much as 21.2%. Does anyone seriously believe we would have grown at three times Germany’s rate if we’d stayed in the EU?
Burnham also refuses to confront the potential cost of rejoining. We’re unlikely to get the £5billion rebate negotiated by Margaret Thatcher. And may have to rejoin Schengen, accept freedom of movement and eventually adopt the euro. EU negotiators will treat us as supplicants, and laugh in our faces.
But why would we want to rejoin a trading bloc whose economic and political power is dwindling, while its bureaucrats accelerate the process by regulating it to death?
Burnham completely ignores the fact that Europe is in turmoil right now. France has been rocked by weeks of protests and rioting, with the unrest spreading to Italy, Germany, Albania and Belgium. German taxpayers fear they’ll be left on the hook for debts run up by the French, whose profligacy risks crashing the euro. Is this the dysfunctional club Burnham wants to beg his way back into? We’d soon be begging to leave again. But Labour’s latest argument for closer EU ties is peak madness.
In a statement marking Remembrance Sunday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said her department wanted to “repair” damage to “the strong links with Europe that veterans’ service helped to secure and endure after the Second World War”.
So apparently the Spitfire pilots defending our skies in the Battle of Britain, the Desert Rats defeating Rommel in North Africa and British troops storming the beaches on D-Day did so because they wanted us to rejoin the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, as Nandy suggested. It’s beyond madness.
Labour is coming up with all sorts of ridiculous arguments to justify reversing Brexit. There’s nothing honest about this process at all. We simply can’t believe a word they say.
ANDY BURNHAM’S LABOUR WILL SAY ANYTHING TO REVERSE BREXIT – BUT THIS LATEST MOVE HAS SPARKED FRESH CONTROVERSY!
Britain’s relationship with the European Union has once again become a major political battleground, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham facing criticism over his increasingly ambitious plans for closer cooperation with Brussels.
Almost a decade after the historic 2016 referendum, the Brexit debate is far from over. Labour is now facing difficult questions about whether its plans for a closer relationship with Europe could eventually lead to Britain reconsidering its departure from the European Union.
The controversy follows Burnham’s calls for what he describes as an honest national discussion about Britain’s long-term European future.
Critics, including Brexit supporters, argue that the government risks reopening divisions that the country has already spent years trying to move beyond.
However, supporters of closer European cooperation insist that Britain’s economic interests must come first.
Burnham’s European Strategy Raises Questions
In recent interviews, Burnham has argued that Brexit has damaged Britain’s economic growth and weakened cooperation with European neighbours.
He believes the country needs to examine different options for its future relationship with the EU.
These could include closer trade arrangements, greater regulatory cooperation and potentially more ambitious forms of European integration.
Speaking on The Rest Is Politics: Leading podcast, Burnham argued that Britain needed to be honest about the consequences of Brexit and consider the available options.
He also stressed that the public should ultimately decide the country’s long-term direction.
Importantly, he has not announced a decision to seek immediate EU membership.
Labour’s Election Promises Under Scrutiny
One of the biggest questions concerns Labour’s existing manifesto commitments.
The party previously promised not to restore freedom of movement or rejoin the EU single market and customs union during the current Parliament.
Burnham has repeatedly maintained that these commitments remain in place.
Nevertheless, his willingness to discuss Britain’s long-term European options has prompted criticism from political opponents.
They argue that voters deserve clarity about whether Labour intends to maintain Brexit or gradually move towards reversing it.
The Prime Minister’s position is that closer cooperation does not automatically mean returning to EU membership.
What Would Rejoining the EU Actually Mean?
Rejoining the European Union would involve a complicated legal and political process.
Britain would need to apply under Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union.
All existing member states would have to agree to the application, followed by negotiations over the terms of membership.
Financial contributions, regulatory obligations, immigration arrangements and the wider single market would all become important questions.
Britain could not simply expect to restore its previous membership arrangements automatically.
The terms would need to be negotiated, and the final outcome would depend on agreement between the UK and EU.
The Economic Argument Divides Politicians
Supporters of closer EU relations argue that Brexit created additional barriers for British exporters and businesses.
They believe reducing customs procedures and regulatory differences could improve trade and encourage investment.
However, critics question whether closer alignment would restrict Britain’s ability to develop independent economic policies.
They also argue that the government should provide detailed financial assessments before committing to any new arrangements.
The debate is therefore not simply about political identity. It concerns jobs, investment, taxation and Britain’s international competitiveness.
Nigel Farage and Reform UK Prepare to Challenge Labour
Nigel Farage has consistently defended the 2016 referendum result and opposed proposals that could return Britain to EU membership.
Reform UK argues that the government should concentrate on domestic priorities rather than reopening the Brexit debate.
The party has also raised concerns about the possible financial costs of closer European integration.
For Labour, this creates a difficult political challenge: explaining how it can improve relations with Brussels while respecting the referendum result and its existing manifesto commitments.
What Happens Next?
The government’s immediate priority is negotiating practical agreements with European partners.
These include cooperation on trade, energy, security and other areas of mutual interest.
Any decision about full EU membership would require a separate political process.
Burnham has made clear that he wants a broader discussion about Britain’s future, but the government has not committed to reversing Brexit.
The coming months will reveal how far Labour intends to take its European strategy.
Britain’s Brexit Debate Is Far From Finished
The latest controversy demonstrates that Brexit remains one of the most divisive questions in British politics.
For supporters of leaving the EU, the referendum represented a democratic decision that should be respected.
For those who favour closer European integration, the economic consequences of Brexit justify reconsidering Britain’s position.
Burnham now faces the challenge of explaining exactly where his government wants to take the country.
Ultimately, any fundamental change should be debated openly, supported by evidence and subject to democratic approval.
THE BIG QUESTIONS:
- Should Labour consider rejoining the European Union?
- Is closer cooperation with Brussels different from reversing Brexit?
- Should voters be given another referendum?
- What would EU membership mean for British taxpayers and businesses?
- Should the government focus on domestic problems before reopening the Brexit debate?
Britain’s European future remains uncertain, and the decisions made in the coming years could have lasting consequences for generations to come.